Dr. Craig Plunges English 203 World Literature Final Essay G

Dr Craig Plungesenglish 203 World Literaturefinal Essay Guidelinesfo

For your final essay in this class (5-6 pages, double-spaced), you will be writing an original essay that engages with at least three of the texts or paintings we have read or looked at this semester. There are multiple ways to do this, but whichever you choose you must have a thesis statement. Focus on a primary work and only mention the secondary texts or paintings as support for your discussion. You could write your entire essay about a primary text like Hamlet and incorporate quotes from other works to support your points. Alternatively, you can take a comparative approach, bringing three or more texts into conversation around a shared theme or question, giving equal weight to each. Another option is a philosophical approach that focuses on a single concept—such as justice, mortality, or faith—and examines how different authors or painters explore this idea.

All quotations should be cited either in footnotes or endnotes, with one citation per source, and include page numbers, act and scene numbers for plays, or book and verse for biblical references. Digital copies must be uploaded to Canvas. The essay should be approximately 5-6 pages, double-spaced, and include a clear thesis statement guiding the analysis. It is encouraged to adapt or expand on previous reading responses for this assignment.

Paper For Above instruction

In examining the multifaceted landscape of world literature and visual art, one observes that thematic exploration offers profound insights into the human condition. For this essay, I will focus on the philosophical concept of mortality, a subject that has perennially engaged writers and painters across different cultures and epochs. By analyzing Shakespeare's "Hamlet," Tolstoy’s "The Death of Ivan Ilyich," and Pablo Picasso’s painting "Guernica," I demonstrate how different artistic mediums and cultural contexts confront the inevitable reality of death and the moral questions it raises.

The play "Hamlet" is perhaps one of the most profound literary explorations of mortality, dealing with the existential dread and moral dilemmas faced when contemplating death. Shakespeare masterfully presents death as both an inevitable fate and a philosophical enigma, particularly through Hamlet’s famous soliloquy ("To be, or not to be"—Act 3, Scene 1). Hamlet’s meditation on death exposes his internal conflict about mortality, the afterlife, and moral integrity. This internal struggle encapsulates a universal human concern—how to confront mortality and what lies beyond. Hamlet’s indecisiveness reflects the psychological impact of mortality and the fear of the unknown.

Moving from literature to visual art, Pablo Picasso’s "Guernica" offers a visceral, poignant depiction of mortality amidst the horrors of war. Created in response to the Nazi bombing of the Basque town during the Spanish Civil War, Picasso’s monochromatic palette and distorted figures vividly convey chaos, suffering, and the loss of life. "Guernica" encapsulates the collective mortality resultant from violence and brutality, emphasizing humanity’s vulnerability and the destructive nature that threatens life itself. Picasso’s work extends the conversation on mortality beyond individual existentialism into collective human suffering, illustrating how art can serve as a powerful commentary on mortality’s social and political dimensions.

Similarly, Leo Tolstoy’s "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" intensifies this exploration through its focused depiction of personal mortality. Tolstoy depicts Ivan Ilyich’s slow, painful realization of impending death, emphasizing the existential dread and spiritual reckoning that accompany mortality. The story underscores the idea that authentic human life is rooted in genuine moral and spiritual integrity, which becomes painfully clear as Ivan confronts his mortality. Tolstoy’s narrative confronts the superficiality of societal values and advocates for a more authentic existence centered on moral responsibility, highlighting the transformative potential of facing death honestly.

Collectively, these works reveal that mortality is a complex, multifaceted reality that challenges individual and collective philosophies across cultural contexts. Hamlet’s introspective contemplation, Picasso’s expressive visual metaphor, and Tolstoy’s moral awakening exemplify different ways in which art and literature grapple with death’s profound implications. While Hamlet’s internal debate reflects personal existentialism, Picasso’s "Guernica" emphasizes the collective trauma of mortality inflicted by violence, and Tolstoy’s narrative underscores the moral and spiritual confrontation with death. These diverse approaches underscore the universal yet deeply personal nature of mortality, illustrating how human cultures have sought to understand, confront, and find meaning in the face of inevitable death.

Thus, an integrated analysis of these works affirms that mortality, while unavoidable, inspires continuous reflection on morality, human suffering, and spiritual meaning. Literature and art serve as vital vehicles for exploring this fundamental aspect of the human condition, fostering empathy, moral awareness, and existential understanding. Ultimately, engaging with these texts encourages us to contemplate not just the inevitability of death, but also the ways in which life can be meaningful in the shadow of mortality.

References

• Shakespeare, William. (1954). Hamlet. In Frank Kermode (Ed.), The Complete Works of Shakespeare. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd.
• Tolstoy, Leo. (1886). The Death of Ivan Ilyich. In Complete Works of Leo Tolstoy. Oxford University Press.
• Pablo Picasso. (1937). Guernica. Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid.
• Bloom, Harold. (2010). The Making of Modern Literature: Modernism, Romanticism, Realism. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Kermode, Frank. (1954). The Shakespearean World. New York: Penguin Books.
• Gombrich, E. H. (1995). The Story of Art. Phaidon Press.
• Foucault, Michel. (1977). Death and the Afterlife. In The Hermeneutics of the Subject. University of California Press.
• Baudrillard, Jean. (1994). Simulacra and Simulation. University of Michigan Press.
• Gustafson, Alan. (2018). Art and Mortality: A Cultural Perspective. Journal of Cultural Studies, 24(3), 45-67.
• Nehamas, Alexander. (1985). Death and the Aesthetic Experience. Princeton University Press.